CASL 2026

Thursday, January 22

• 3:00 p.m. – Hotel Check In
• 3:30 p.m. – CASL Check In
• 4:00 p.m. – CASL Welcome
• 4:20 p.m. – Roundtables
• 5:30 p.m. – Workshops
• 6:30 p.m. – Dinner
• 7:30 p.m. – General Session
• 8:30 p.m. – Activity

Friday, January 23

• 8:45 a.m. – General Session
• 10:00 a.m. – Workshops
• 11:00 a.m. – General Session
• 12:45 p.m. – Lunch
• 1:00 p.m. – Roundtables
• 6:00 p.m. – Dinner

(January, 22, 2026 schedule updated due to unsafe weather conditions)

Edward Randle, Ph.D.
Edward “Big” Randle, a Full Professor at Tarleton State University, hails from Brownwood, Texas. He earned his bachelor’s in Social Work from Howard Payne University and completed his master’s and PhD at the University of Texas at Arlington. After teaching graduate courses, he became a Program Director at Tarleton in 2011. With extensive experience in social work, he has worked with child welfare, young adults in corrections, and substance abuse, and has served as a Department Chair. He advocates for mental health services for non-traditional diverse students and is passionate about leadership.

Casey Merrifield, Ph.D.
Casey is a seasoned leader who has spent most of her career working in Higher Education administration, though early in her career she was in full-time ministry and served as an Associate Student Minister. These experiences along with her academic drive have led her to unique places of influence and leadership finding their pinnacle as a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ConneXtion Worldwide. She is the architect of doxaleaders.com, which is a division of ConneXtion that engages Christ-focused organizations to reflect God’s glory within their organizations to enhance their greater mission. She completed her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies in the Spring of 2022 and continues to find ways to make what’s best about leadership theory come alive in those she works with. She is a catalyst for equipping leaders to be the healthiest people in any room. At ConneXtion, she and her partners seek to raise up secure, confident, and humble leaders at the intersection of leadership and culture.

As an executive coach and leader development specialist, she is poised to help individuals and teams achieve their best. She specializes in building healthy cultures in the workplace by training leaders in a common leadership language and practical leadership tools. She encourages leaders to live out their values and invest in key relationships, and in turn helps teams thrive in their mission. Above all, she equips leaders to build a lasting legacy in every circle of influence.

Ricky Cavitt, MDiv
Ricky was born in the West Texas town of Seminole, Texas. After graduating from Seminole High School, he continued his education at Wayland Baptist University where he graduated with a B.A. in Religious Education. While at Wayland he was a member of the International Choir and the track team. During his college years, he traveled to many churches doing youth led revivals, and held three separate summer youth ministry positions that helped affirm his call to youth ministry.

Rick says the most important thing that happened at Wayland was to meet Teresa Mapp, the beautiful farm girl from Hart, Texas, and marry her before going to Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. During college, Ricky, supported by Teresa, served as the interim youth pastor, at Crosbyton Baptist Church, in Crosbyton, Texas. During his seminary years, and after graduating from seminary, with an M DIV, he served at Lakeside Baptist in Granbury, Texas.

Shortly after seminary he was called to Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas, where he has served 22 years as Youth and University Pastor and 35 years as Youth Pastor. He and Teresa have two children, Canaan, and Jordan. Additionally, the Cavitts are expecting their first grandchild, a boy, any time now. Ricky enjoys running, archery, hunting, and the outdoors.

Cory Hines, Ph.D.
Dr. Cory Hines serves as the President of Howard Payne University. The Howard Payne University Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Hines as the twentieth President in the schools 130-year history on March 18, 2019. Dr. Hines began serving as President just two weeks later on April 1, 2019.

A native of Gainesville, Texas, and a 1997 graduate of Howard Payne, Dr. Hines has a broad range of experience in higher education administration. Before returning home to HPU in April of 2019, Dr. Hines served as the Vice President for Enrollment at a sister Texas Baptist institution. In addition to serving as Vice President for Enrollment, he previously served that institution in other capacities as a Vice President in the areas of Advancement, Graduate Affairs, External Affairs, and Alumni and Community Relations.

Beyond his administrative responsibilities at his previous institution, he also taught courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level and provided leadership in the creation of several graduate programs. Active in Texas Baptist life, he also has experience in vocational ministry, having served as executive pastor and student pastor at Ferris Avenue Baptist Church (now The Avenue Church) in Waxahachie, Texas.

Dr. Hines earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education from Howard Payne in 1997. He then went on to earn his Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2000 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies with a focus in Higher Education from Dallas Baptist University in 2012.

Dr. Hines has been married to the lovely Mrs. Melinda Hines for over twenty-five years. Together they have two children, Mackenzie and Caleb, both of whom are currently enrolled at a sister institution working towards their graduate and undergraduate degrees. The Hines are members at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood.

• Student Ministries
• Campus Recreation & Intramurals
• New Student Orientation & Welcome Week
• Student Government
• Residence Life
• Student Organizations / Greek Life
• Student Activities
• Emerging Leaders

Being Rooted and Built Up: Living Beyond the Imposter
Dr. Rob Harris | Owner Doc Rob’s Kettle Corn; Retired VP of Student Development

Confrontational Leadership: An Examination of the Ministries of Jeremiah the Prophet & John the Baptist
Jordan Villanueva | Instructor of Christian Studies; Assistant to the President for Hispanic Relations

From Foundation to Navigation: A Prayer-Centered Life and Spirit-Led Decision Making
Dr. Mary Agboola | Associate Professor in Finance at Howard Payne University

How to Fight Right – God’s Way of Dealing with Conflict and Drama
Dr. Casey Merrifield | Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ConneXtion Worldwide

“If You Follow Jesus, Who’s Following You?” Doing What Jesus Said by Making Disciples
Billy Cash | College Pastor at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church

Inductive Bible Study: How to Study the Bible by Yourself
Dr. Philips Agboola | Professor of Engineering at Howard Payne University

Leading from Who You Are, Not Just What You Do
Dr. Tammy Arreola | Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator at Howard Payne University

Preventing Burnout and Overload
Dr. Rusty Wheelington | Professor of Christian Studies at Howard Payne University

We recommend staying in Brownwood or Early for ease of travel during the conference. Below are a few recommendations.

• Best Western Plus Riata
  • $129 plus tax for 10 or more standard rooms
  • Must call and reserve under the CASL conference by Dec. 22 to get this rate

• Holiday Inn Express – Conference Rate
• Home 2 Suites by Hilton Brownwood – Conference Rate

More accommodations can be found below:

Brownwood Lodging                        Early Lodging

Highways to Brownwood

HPU Campus Map June 2025

CASL, Christian Association of Student Leaders, is an organization committed to developing and strengthening college students in their campus leadership roles. Chartered in 1998 by the eight Baptist universities in Texas (Dallas Baptist, East Texas Baptist, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Wayland Baptist, Howard Payne, Baylor, and Houston Baptist), CASL is under the sponsorship of the Congregational Leadership Team of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. 

CASL provides professional growth opportunities for individuals engaged in student leadership, a forum for sharing ideas, and encouragement in their leadership journey. The mission of CASL is to equip student leaders intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically according to the example set by Christ Jesus.